Israeli forces killed member of Palestinian armed group and wounded 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child

On Wednesday evening, 11 June 2014, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child whose condition was described as very serious, were wounded when Israeli forces targeted a member of an armed group who was killed by two missiles launched by a drone in the northern Gaza Strip. Following the crime, Israeli forces admitted to committing the crime as their spokesperson, in cooperation with the “Shin Bet” security services, said that “ they targeted the aforementioned who was involved recently in launching dozens of rockets at the Israeli towns”, according to the Israeli claims.

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 22:20on the aforementioned day, Israeli drones launched two missiles at a motorbike travelling near the Palestinian Naval apparatus headquarters on the coastal road, southwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. The bike was ridden by Mohammed Ahmed ‘Abdel Latif al-‘Aawour (33), a member of an armed group from Beit Lahia Housing Project, who was immediately killed after the upper part of his body turned into pieces. His nephew, ‘Ali Abdel Latif Ahmed al-‘Awour (10), suffered shrapnel wounds throughout his body causing him bleeding in the brain and he entered into a coma.

Hamadah Hussein Mohammed Naser (32) from Jabalia was wounded by shrapnel in parts of his body as he was travelling in his Black Mercedes car holding registration plate No. 3-00-9206 near the targeted place. Moreover, Monther Hasan al-Masar’ie from Shati’ refugee camp was wounded by shrapnel in different parts of his body also passing by the targeted area. The body of the armed member and the three injured persons were taken to Kamal ‘Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia. The injury of the child and Naser was described as serious, and they were both transferred to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Meanwhile, the injury of al-Masar’ie was described as moderate. The missiles caused two big holes in the road around 50 centimetres deep.

According to field investigations and examination of the targeted place, large numbers of Palestinian civilians, especially women and children, were on the beach of Beit Lahia and Jablia. They were terrified as a result.

It should be mentioned that when the killed was targeted, he was in al-Basmah Cafeteria owned by his nephew ‘Abdulatif on the coastal road and he took his nephew with him when he left the place.

PCHR condemns this crime, which further proves the use of extra-judicial execution and excessive force by Israeli forces against the Palestinian civilians in disregard for the civilians’ lives. Therefore, PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate and effective actions to put an end to such crimes and reiterates its call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to fulfil their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to have committed the grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions.

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